Ann Arbor

Alternative energy investors with Michigan connections could prove vital

Alternative energy looks to be the latest avenue to bring Silicon Valley-style talent and resources to Ann Arbor.Excerpt:The role of risk takers in boosting Michigan’s entrepreneurial economy cannot be understated.Without risk, our economic turnaround efforts could stagnate or falter. Thus why outside investors such as renowned clean tech venture capitalist Vinod Khosla can have a significant impact on Michigan's economy.The Silicon Valley-based Khosla, one of the key investors in Ann Arbor-based vehicle battery startup Sakti3, is pooling $1.1 billion into two new investment funds to boost alternative energy technology and information technology companies, the New York Times reported today.Read the rest of the story here.

Ann Arbor looks at expanding Bluffs Nature Area

The Bluffs Nature Area in Ann Arbor could soon become bigger. A developer is proposing giving 1.1 acres of natural area adjacent to the 22-acre park as part of a development agreement for the renovation of Riverview of Ann Arbor nursing home.The city recently acquired the land, which is located on a glacially formed ridge over North Main Street. Informal trails wind throughout the park and are accessible from North Main just across from Lakeshore Street. Besides the trails, Bluffs is considered an undeveloped park.It has a variety of natural features, including an oak-hickory forest, wooded ravines and an open field with remnant prairie species. The area has long been a favorite place for mountain bikers and hikers.Source: City of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

Superior Capital Partners buys National Archive Publishing Co.

A Detroit-based firm is buying an Ann Arbor-based firm to save jobs in the area for once.Excerpt:Detroit-based Superior Capital Partners L.L.C. is expected to announce this week that it has bought the assets of Ann Arbor-based National Archive Publishing Co., saving about 140 jobs.Read the rest of the story here.

Ann Arbor continues hybrid bus expansion with 7 new buses

Microloans fill small-scale funding gap for Ann Arbor entrepreneurs

A little bit of money at the beginning can go a long way toward creating a successful start-up, or at least that's the idea behind the new micro-loan funds in Washtenaw County.Excerpt:Ann Arbor economic development officials are hoping that microloans can be an economic jump starter for entrepreneurs thirsting for cash.Local officials have pooled $1.5 million in funds for comparably tiny business loans designed to boost startup companies with few traditional financing routes.Skip Simms, Ann Arbor SPARK’s business acceleration managing director, said microloans fill a financial need during a funding crisis that threatens to stall creativity in an era when Michigan needs it most.Read the rest of the story here.

Input sought on Ann Arbor’s new Fuller train station concept

What's planned for the proposed Fuller Road transit station and what people want to see there will be at the center of a public meeting scheduled for next Thursday, Sept. 17.The city and University of Michigan are spending nearly $500,000 to create conceptual plans for a new railroad-centric mass transit center on Fuller Road near University of Michigan Hospital. The new station would facilitate everything from bicycles and pedestrians to buses and rail lines.The Fuller Road transit station would replace surface parking lots at the intersection of Fuller and Maiden Lane. It would connect the Border-to-Border Trail, AATA buses, the proposed Detroit-Ann Arbor commuter rail line, Chicago-Detroit high-speed rail line and bus rapid transit/streetcar line to downtown.This project is part of the Ann Arbor Connector Feasibility Study - a study that would call for creating a crescent moon-shaped line for either streetcars or bus rapid transit system or enhance bus service.The city is holding the informational meeting at 3-5 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. in the City Council chambers of the City Hall, 100 N Fifth St. For information, contact Cooper at ecooper@a2gov.com or (734) 794-6000, ext. 43710.Source: City of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

Greenbelt hits 1,320 acres with 12 purchases

The numbers for Ann Arbor's Greenbelt are starting to balloon. The 5-year-old initiative is starting to really rack up the acreage under its protection and the dollars in its bank account.The Greenbelt has made 12 acquisitions totaling 1,320 acres and is in the process of trying to acquire seven other properties. That boils down to almost $10.1 million spent by the city, along with an additional $1.4 million from landowner donations, $4.1 million in state and federal grants and $4.3 million in partnership contributions.Even with all of that spending, there is still a lot left in the Greenbelt's bank account. Its funds total at $16.3 million. That breaks down to $11.8 million for Greenbelt acquisition and $4.5 million for park expansions. The Greenbelt Program provides funding to preserve and protect open space, natural habitats and farms in the Ann Arbor area by purchasing development rights. The city acquires these rights from willing sellers who apply to participate in the program. Ann Arbor voters approved a 0.5-mill millage over 30 years to establish the Greenbelt Program in 2003. Two thirds of that money goes toward Greenbelt acquisitions while the remaining third is dedicated to parks. The millage produces about $2 million annually, however, about $1 million is spent on bind debt service. Source: City of Ann ArborWriter: Jon Zemke

Dominican Sisters of Mary finish motherhouse in Ann Arbor

The Catholic Church in Michigan is known more for contracting these days than expanding. That's not the case of the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist's convent in Ann Arbor."Yes, we're growing very fast," says Sister Maria Guadalupe Halle, director of mission advancement for the convent. "It's quite unusual."The order just finished the $10 million final phase of the expansion of its mother house on the city's northeast side by Dominos Farms. The $25 million project turned the 25 acres into a nunnery that is quickly becoming the envy of North America. The 115,000-square-foot mother house has a lecture hall with seating for 115, a gymnasium, chaplain's residence, and now, space to house 100 sisters.That's key because the convent, founded in 1997 by four sisters, has now hit 99 sisters thanks to its latest recruiting class of 17. The original vision called for housing 100 sisters at the convent."We hit 100 much more quickly than we ever imagined," Halle says.The nuns are still fundraising for their $25 million capital campaign, with $9 million left to go. The sisters, who are all teachers, are still working to include a cemetery in the convent. They don't plan to expand the campus otherwise.Source: Sister Maria Guadalupe Halle, director of mission advancement for the conventWriter: Jon Zemke

Top 5 reasons for a downtown WCC campus

The number of reasons why Washtenaw Community College should open up a downtown campus are adding up -- five, to be exact.Excerpt:Washtenaw Community College is  exploring options for a downtown satellite campus, with results coming in about six months. It's a good step for the school and the city.Here are our Top 5 reasons why:Accessibility: There's already a core employment base downtown and a transportation hub. Both make the location natural from a student convenience standpoint. Space availability: Vacancy is over 10 percent, meaning the price and selection should be attractive from WCC's operations standpoint.Read the rest of the story here.